


Dream within a dream

by Nival_Vixen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Beater Pansy Parkinson, Chaser Ginny Weasley, Complete, F/M, Halloween, M/M, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Multi, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Prompt Fic, Quidditch, Sarcastic Draco, Sassy Ginny, Sassy Pansy, Snarky Blaise, Sweetheart Neville, The Princess Bride References, Wizarding World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 09:02:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2541941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nival_Vixen/pseuds/Nival_Vixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ginny attends Pansy's Samhain celebration, only to find that she's being set up yet again. This time, however, it's not just one of Pansy's friends, it's two. Draco and Blaise might surprise her though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dream within a dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [airmidm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/airmidm/gifts).



> Prompt: Samhain party hosted by one of the Slytherins, post Hogwarts, Ginny playing for Harpies and has permanently dumped Potter. Theme of party is something about Celtic Gods so Ginny shows up as The Morrigan. Up to you if she, Draco, and Blaise are together or the party is when they get together. Bonus if Ginny is there because she and Pansy have become friends after Hogwarts. Double bonus if Neville appears and triple Nev's if there is a Princess Bride nod of some sort.

"Ginny, you look absolutely horrid," Pansy drawled, smirking at her.

Turning her head, Ginny grinned back at her friend and colleague, seeing her green skin, black pointed witch's hat, and ruby red shoes.

"You don't look much better, Pans. Besides, that's the whole point of my outfit. I'm here to get drunk and party, not pick up grabby little wizards who're only interested in Quidditch roleplay."

"Well, I'll just send half the guests home, shall I?" Pansy said, rolling her eyes. "You know that's exactly what most of these scavengers like."

"Hence, the _horrid_ costume. Now, explain how you're dressed as a Celtic goddess?"

Pansy mumbled something incoherent under her breath.

"What was that, Little Miss If You Don't Dress As a Goddess I Will Hit a Thousand Bludgers at Your Face?"

Pansy glowered, but sighed and finally relented. "Neville wanted to have matching outfits of his favourite Muggle couple, and you know I can't say no to him. We'll be changing outfits halfway through the party."

"You mean escaping the party to have sex," Ginny said, laughing when Pansy didn't bother to deny the claim. "I'm not going to badger you, but you owe me the first round at the _Three Broomsticks_ next week."

"Deal," Pansy agreed quickly, looking grateful.

"Good. Now, where's the Firewhisky?"

"Butterbeer first; I want everyone sober before 8pm. I refuse to let last year's Samhain party become the norm for my parties. Those children were terrified and are probably scarred for life," Pansy said, but as she cackled rather than sounded sympathetic, Ginny doubted she honestly cared that the bunch of children had seen a rather sordid orgy on Pansy's foyer stairs when they'd only come knocking for chocolates.

Whichever witch or wizard had promoted Halloween as a celebration within the wizarding world rather than the usual Samhain traditions sorely needed to be hexed, but Ginny was glad it hadn't been promoted the other way around as well. There were many reasons Muggles were limited to celebrating All Hallow's Eve with costumes and lollies, and most of those reasons related to the Muggles' complete inability to commercialise the simplest of celebrations. That was another reason Ginny had decided to show up to Pansy's party as The Morrigan, her face carefully charmed so that one side showed a younger version of herself, the other side a far older version, and her actual face was aged slightly. She thought it was a fairly good imitation of the Maiden/Mother/Crone since she'd only just learnt the charm yesterday.

"Fine, Butterbeer then. But I warn you: if anyone makes lewd comments about a broom between my legs, they **will** be hexed multiple times over."

There was a snort of amusement behind her, and both Ginny and Pansy turned to see that the rest of their team had arrived. They were all dressed in various forms of animal costumes, their outfits and bodies splashed with blood.

"Please, honey, we'd _all_ hex whatever sorry person made that sort of comment. In fact, I'd say we'd even line up to hex 'em again," Toni, team captain for the Holyhead Harpies and currently dressed as a Crup, said with a smirk.

"What on earth are you lot dressed as?" Pansy asked, frowning.

"Sacrifices to Celtic Gods. We didn't coordinate our costumes, and we all showed up as Brigit," their Keeper, Linh said, shrugging.

"Why didn't you come as triple Brigit/Brigid/Brighid then? There's enough of you for two of Brigit," Ginny pointed out.

The two Chasers, Beater, Seeker, Keeper, and reserve all shrugged in response.

"You'd better come in before something on the grounds smells that blood and comes enquiring," Pansy said, smirking as she stepped aside to let her team mates in.

"Geez, Gin, you're going to be terrifyingly ugly when you're old," Katie quipped, moving to poke at her Crone's cheek, a pig's trotter coming dangerously close to Ginny's face.

"Katie, I love you like a sister, but if you break my charm, I'll break your hand," Ginny said, stepping back.

A clanking noise was heard, and they all looked over to see a small house-elf dressed as a knight coming over, looking as proud as any house-elf could be. Ginny raised an eyebrow at Pansy, who shrugged in response.

"It's the first time they've ever asked to dress up, and I couldn't say no."

"This way, please," the house-elf called, one large and bony hand keeping his helmet visor up before he turned and started down the corridor, the armour clanking again.

"Katie, if you get your hand broken before next week's championship game, I'll break your other one," Toni called, following the house-elf down to the party.

Katie held up her trotters and made sure not to touch any of Ginny as she moved past.

"Yeah, you'd better keep walking," Ginny said, glaring at Katie until she knew the older witch had passed completely - Katie would be just as likely to turn back and hit her charmed face as not.

"Just think of it this way, Gin: at least you know how you'll look when you're as old as Gwenog Jones!" one of the Holyhead's Beaters, Cassiopeia said, grinning as she followed the rest of the team.

"Gwenog Jones is dead!" Ginny pointed out.

"Exactly!" Cass called over her shoulder.

"I'm going to let you get hit by a Bludger next game. All of you. In fact, I'm going to steal your bat and hit the Bludger directly at you all, you witches."

"You touch my bat, then I'll be the one breaking hands," Pansy said. "Now, ignore them. You look _lovely_. Well, one side of you does, at least."

"Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"

"I have someone for you to meet. Well, two someones, really," she admitted, taking hold of Ginny's arm and practically marching her towards the party.

" _Goddess,_ _no_. Pansy, you promised no more blind dates and set ups!" Ginny groaned. "I came here to party, not get set up with one - _or two!_ \- of your many charming friends," she muttered; while Pansy had changed from her blood purist ways since Hogwarts, some of her friends were still stuck in their old mind-sets, and Ginny had had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting most of them in one way or another.

"These two are charming, I promise."

"You said the same thing about Marcus Flint. Do you remember what happened with him?"

Pansy had the grace to wince at the reminder. "Yes, all right, I admit that Flint was a disaster. I just honestly thought Flint would be better company than that vibrating charm you use."

"There's a reason I use the vibrating charm, Pans, and it has everything to do with it being better company than most people - _including Flint_ ," Ginny said vehemently as she was guided into the room.

The Parkinson family ghost was up in the rafters; the small house-elf knights were walking around, their armour loud but still not enough to drown out the music coming from the Wireless; and people were lounging around, some with food and drinks, others just chatting amiably. It was easy to tell who the _Holyhead Harpies_ were at a glance.

"My, that certainly sounds like an impressive charm, Weasley. Though, I have to admit, a pincushion is probably better company than Flint," Draco said, smirking.

"Was that a compliment? I don't think that was a compliment," Ginny muttered to Pansy, who was glowering at Draco.

"Ignore Draco, he's only a bastard when he's sober," Blaise said, nudging Draco sharply.

"What are you two meant to be, anyway?" Ginny asked.

"Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum," Blaise replied, splaying his arms to show off his overalls.

"Blaise is Tweedle-dum," Draco added.

"We didn't read the full invitation; thought it was just a Muggle costume party," Blaise added at Ginny's expression.

"Have either of you actually read _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_?" Ginny asked, folding her arms.

"Pansy, please tell me the drinks with a more potent alcoholic content will be arriving soon? I have the feeling I may need it," Draco muttered.

Pansy didn't reply, and when Ginny looked to her friend and saw her expression, the pieces finally fell into place.

"Oh, Goddess, _Pansy!_ Draco and Blaise, really? These two are meant to be the _charming_ ones?" Ginny exclaimed.

"Hey, I resent that! I'm the only charming one of the two of us," Blaise said.

Pansy sighed and rubbed her temples. "I take it all back, Gin; neither of these bastards are pleasant. Never mind the fact that you've both been looking for someone else for years, and Gin, how long's it been since you had sex?"

"I refuse to answer that, Pans. You know how long it's been, that doesn't mean I'm going to jump in the broom closet with these two."

Draco snorted. "We wouldn't want to jump in a broom closet with you either, Weasley. Unlike some, we have standards, and where we fuck our willing partners is certainly not limited to a three-minute fuck in such an awkwardly vertical and claustrophobic space. Blaise would never allow his movements to be limited in such a way, and I myself am partial to actually _seeing_ my partners."

"Again, I don't know if I'm being complimented or insulted," Ginny muttered.

"You get used to it," Pansy muttered right back, shaking her head. "Draco, get your wand out of your arse and act like a gentleman, or so help me, I _will_ Floo your mother. Blaise, try to keep him in line, would you?"

" **Try** being the key word there, Pans," Blaise said with a snort, raising his glass Butterbeer mug in a mocking salute.

"You mock my pain."

"Life _is_ pain," Blaise said, smirking.

"Anyone who says differently is selling something," Draco added.

Ginny decided that anyone who could quote _The Princess Bride_ without sounding like they were actually quoting it was probably worth a few minutes of her time. She'd never expected it from Draco and Blaise, that was for certain, but it seemed like they were going to be full of surprises. Perhaps they'd actually read _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ after all.

"I'll keep them in line, Pans," Ginny said, patting her arm with a grin.

"Oh, gods. We're going to be hexed before 9 o'clock, aren't we?" Draco asked with a groan, tilting his head back off the cushion.

" _You_ will be," Blaise snickered.

"You'll avenge me, won't you?" Draco asked Blaise, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Fuck, no. I remember how powerful Gin's hexes were. She's probably gotten stronger and has better hand-eye coordination with all of that professional Quidditch; you're on your own, love."

"Guess I'll have to be a gentleman after all," Draco said with a sigh, sitting up properly again.

"Thank the gods," Pansy muttered.

"I just said I'd behave, it wasn't worthy of that much praise."

"Not you, Neville's here with Seamus and Dean. As much as I love you all, Neville will get me away from you," Pansy said, patting Draco on the head, caressing Blaise's cheek, and pressing a kiss to Ginny's cheek as she hurried over to Neville and left them to fend for themselves.

Ginny sat on the cushions across from Draco and Blaise, and looked over to see Neville grinning at Pansy, a broad smile that had his students falling over themselves for him (not that Neville thought of himself that way, and since they'd started dating after the Final Battle, he'd only ever had eyes for Pansy), and pulled Pansy into a hug. She smiled within his embrace, small and warm pressed against his chest, and then pulled away to kiss him eagerly. Toni wolf-whistled in response, and Neville was blushing by the time they stopped.

"What's his costume? Is that straw?" Draco asked, squinting at the small group of newcomers.

"He's dressed as Fiyero. That's why Pansy's Elphaba. _Wicked_ , remember?" Blaise prompted.

"Oh, right. Fuck, that play absolutely killed me," Draco groaned, stealing Blaise's Butterbeer and drinking it down.

"All right, you two, spill. How in the gods' name do you know so much about Muggle things?" Ginny demanded, subconsciously twirling her wand along her fingers.

Blaise shrugged slightly. "Some kids rebel against their parents by sneaking out of home to go to parties and get tattoos. We rebelled by sneaking out of parties and avoiding the tattoos to go to the Muggle world."

"Yeah, the parties and tattoos our parents had were the kind that got them thrown in Azkaban," Draco said. "Mind you, if they'd caught us in the Muggle world going to a play of all things, they probably would've killed us. Rather take my chances with ol' Hades himself than be stuck in a cell next to my ol' man."

They were silent for a moment, Ginny trying to think of something to say that didn't sound awful, but then a clock started chiming and the rest of the party cheered loudly, counting up to nine loudly. At nine on the dot, the house elves arrived, armed with trays of alcohol.

"Well, I think something a bit more potent is required, don't you?" Ginny asked, hoping for an easy and reassuring tone.

"Yes, definitely. A witch after my own heart. Or liver," Draco said, chuckling.

Ginny waved over one of the house elves, and grinned at the sound of the clanking armour again. "A bottle of Firewhisky, one of bourbon, and one of rum, please. What do you two want?"

Blaise snickered. "Yeah right, Weasley. You shouldn't have too much alcohol, lest it ruins your good opinion of us," he added, grinning broadly.

"Please, if anything, the alcohol will help more than hinder."

"Give her the rum, Blaise. For the gods' sakes, give her the rum!" Draco said, taking the bottle of Firewhisky from the house-elf.

Blaise sighed and offered the bottle of rum to Ginny. Then he turned to Draco and plucked the bottle from his lips. "You're not starting off with this; I refuse to let you get too drunk to Side Apparate home again. I'm going to leave you Splinched in the middle of nowhere if you make me Floo St. Mungo's on a holiday _again_."

"Oh, fine. Give me another Butterbeer then," Draco groused.

Ginny sipped at her rum, hiding her grin behind the goblet at Draco and Blaise's behaviour. They were acting just like an old married couple. (The fact that her mother had threatened Arthur with something similar at Ron and Hermione's wedding last year made it even funnier.)

"Now, before I get completely drunk, we need to set up a date to discuss all of the books, movies, and plays you've seen. I want to hear your opinions on them _all_ ," Ginny said, grinning.

"It might take a while; we've read and seen a lot over the years."

"As in, _the rest of our lives_ a while."

Ginny looked between them and gave a nod, still grinning. "I think I can handle that."

She knew she could; even if they didn't have sex or start dating, Ginny could do with some friends who knew and enjoyed Muggle works as much as she did, and she had the feeling that Draco and Blaise might even enjoy them more than she did.

"As you wish," Blaise said, winking.

He tapped his wand to the back of Ginny's hand, their grate number showing up in a bright set of words, fading to a dull set of lines a second later. She copied the motion on both Blaise and Draco's hands, and then took up her goblet again.

"Now, since I've finished my Butterbeer, hand me that bottle of Firewhisky," Draco said, grinning.

"Remember, I'm leaving you wherever you get Splinched," Blaise warned, handing him the bottle anyway.

"No, you won't."

"I might."

Draco made a noise, one expressing pure disbelief, and then turned to Ginny with a grin and a salute. "How are you feeling about next week's championship game?"

"Don't mention it too loudly; Toni's been obsessed with keeping us in shape, and if she hears anyone mentioning the g-a-m-e, we have to do pushups or squats," Ginny groaned.

"So we'll take it that you're feeling good about the g-a-m-e then?" Blaise offered, eyebrow raised.

"Sure, that works. If by good you mean absolutely terrified and excited and a little nauseous about my first championship g-a-m-e. We win this, we get to go to the World Cup."

"We'll be there to cheer you on. Pansy's bribed us with box seats and pitch-side food. All of it overpriced and nowhere near qualifying as nutritious," Blaise said, grinning.

"I can't wait; it's the only time Blaise lets me eat food as awful as that."

"You still have a flat stomach, don't complain."

"I wasn't complaining," Draco promised, patting Blaise's arm consolingly.

"Oh, shut up, we're talking about Ginny, not you," he muttered, turning his attention back to Ginny who was having a hard time controlling her urge to laugh.

"No, no, no talking about me. Nothing serious tonight, not when I've got three faces and a bottle of rum."

"You've got _three_ faces? I only saw two!" Draco said, scrambling up onto his knees to look at Ginny's face. "Oh, _there's_ you from Hogwarts. Blaise, look."

Blaise did as he said, leaning over to look at Ginny's Maiden face.

"You mean you've been flirting with the Mother and Crone?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"We knew it was you under there, and honestly, you're still going to be gorgeous when you're old and grey," Blaise said with a wink.

Ginny didn't blush. She was hot from the rum, that's all.

"I can't say the same. I'm probably going to be bald by the time I'm fifty. Blaise will still look the same though, I just know it," Draco said, grinning as he pinched Blaise's cheek.

"I'm still sober enough to remember the charm, if you really want to see," Ginny offered, producing her wand with a grin.

"Oh, yes! I've got a hundred Galleons riding on how many wrinkles he'll have by the time he's fifty," Draco said.

"How many did you say?" Ginny asked.

"None. Look at him, look at those genes, he's going to be this handsome forever."

"I reckon he'll have _some_ ," Ginny mused, looking at Blaise's face and trying to see it critically.

Blaise just raised his eyebrow at both Draco and Ginny as they sat across from him, scrutinising his face with similar serious expressions.

"What are you two doing?" Pansy asked, coming over with Neville.

"Trying to decide whether Blaise'll have wrinkles when he's fifty," Draco replied, not looking away from Blaise.

"Fifty? No way; he'd have to be at least seventy, maybe even eighty before he started getting wrinkly," Neville said, moving to sit beside Ginny and tugging Pansy down next to him.

"Fifty-five might be enough. All of these parties have got to take their toll sooner or later," Pansy said.

"How about you just do the spell and we'll find out?" Blaise suggested, a little nervous now with four pairs of eyes directly on him. "Ginny, if you could do Draco next, I've got my own wager to win."

"Wrinkles?" she asked, tongue sticking out as she thought of the intricate spell, completing the movements with her wand and saying the charm softly.

Blaise's face shifted, splitting three ways, and when prompted, he turned his head so they could see his wizened face.

"Good gods, Blaise, you're barely wrinkled. That's cruel to the rest of the wizarding population who have to wither up alongside you!" Draco groaned, slumping and resting his head on his arms.

Blaise just rolled his eyes and shook his head. It was enough of a jarring motion to break Ginny's delicate charm, and Pansy pouted slightly, nodding towards Draco instead.

"Do him now; I want to see the hex I dodged by dumping his arse back in Hogwarts."

"Not funny, Pansy," Draco muttered.

Ginny did the charm again, careful with her wand movements and words. Draco lifted his head carefully and turned to the side, waiting for their responses. There was silence for a beat to long and he winced, wondering just how awful he looked.

"Uh... Maybe you should hold back on the Firewhisky, Draco. Not to say that it's bad, it's just..." Neville trailed off, wincing.

"You look like you bathed in Firewhisky for all of your forties," Pansy said plainly, taking the bottle away from his grip.

"Seriously, it's that bad?" Draco asked, looking between Blaise and Ginny with raised eyebrows.

"It's not _that_ bad. Just be glad that I make you eat as healthily as I do," Blaise said.

"I'm going to be ugly when I'm old. You might as well leave me now, Blaise. Ginny, don't even bother with the date. I'll be hideous and alone forever."

"You're such a drama wizard. They're just teasing you, Draco. Here, look," Ginny said, relenting in the face of his misery, transfiguring one of the smaller cushions to a mirror.

Draco turned his head, trying to see his reflection, and sighed in relief. He didn't look awful. Sure, he had a few hundred wrinkles, but he had laugh lines around his mouth and eyes, and he still had some hair. Not bad for an old wizard, really.

"Okay, I won't be hideous forever. Give me the bottle back."

"It's mine now," Pansy quipped, holding the neck of the bottle tightly. Her expression turned to a smirk as she looked between them. "I heard something about a date?"

"We're going to organise it when we're sober," Ginny said, drinking from her bottle of rum.

"Good, that means I was right. I get any and all godmother rights of any of your future offspring."

"Fuck, Pansy, it's _one date_. We're not getting married," Ginny spluttered.

"Uh-huh. Godmother rights. Me first, no one else. Understood?"

"All right, just go. And Neville, stop giving me that wounded look, you get godfather rights too."

"Awesome, thanks, Gin. Now, Pansy dearest, we should go change our outfits," Neville said, standing up and offering her his hand.

Pansy smiled up at him, took his hand, and left the room without anyone else taking notice.

"They're not coming back," Blaise muttered, Draco and Ginny both nodding in agreement.

...

The next week, Ginny walked out onto the Quidditch pitch, broom holstered on her shoulder, nerves thrumming through her body. She flew into the air after her teammates, and grinned when she saw Pansy indicating over to the box seats where Draco and Blaise were waiting. They had a sign held between them, big purple and green letters that sparkled against the white parchment.

_Try and kill each other like civilised people!_

Ginny laughed outright, held onto her broom tighter, and completed the lap of the pitch. She didn't stop smiling once, even during the game, and managed to scare the opposition with her smile alone. They won 450 to 50, and the rest of the _Holyhead Harpies_ bought Draco and Blaise box seats for the Quidditch World Final. Ginny couldn't wait.

...

The end.

Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it!


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